


Casual Observers: The Observed

by Browneyesparker



Series: Casual Observers [17]
Category: Girl Meets World
Genre: Casual Observers, F/M, Friendship, Hurt/Comfort, Romance, girl meets world - Freeform, joshaya
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-11-22
Updated: 2015-11-22
Packaged: 2018-05-02 18:52:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,296
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5259845
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Browneyesparker/pseuds/Browneyesparker
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>She was too young to realize what was going on the first time they met, she didn’t recognize the way her heart skip a beat when he looked at her or the funny feeling in her tummy either. . . fluttering, there was definitely fluttering, like butterflies or something.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Casual Observers: The Observed

**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

**.**

**Chapter 17**

_The Observed_

She had heard stories about the Uncles Eric and Joshua, but she had thought they’d be as old as Mr. Matthews, not young and beautiful with dimples and a princely smile. She was too young to realize what was going on the first time they met, she didn’t recognize the way her heart skip a beat when he looked at her or the funny feeling in her tummy either. . . fluttering, there was definitely fluttering, like butterflies or something.

But she liked it.

She liked _him_.

And she knew that if they went to the same school, she wouldn’t mind marrying him in a playground wedding ceremony during recess even though she was sure all the other girls in the school would feel the same way about him and they would all be locked in a contest for his attention.

But thankfully he lived in Philadelphia and he belonged to her for the summer. She knew that and he knew that and everything in her world was wonderful.

**.**

It was the best summer of her life. That was saying something because she _was_ only five and she hadn’t lived long enough yet to actually have the best summer of her life but she would remember as long as she lived trying to wrap her tiny arms around his neck while he whirled her around the living room to “Can You Feel the Love Tonight” and “Kiss the Girl”.

She would giggle every time he leaned in and tried to steal a kiss, unafraid of cooties apparently. One time when nobody was looking, she let him do it, when it was over she scrutinized him.

“Well, it doesn’t look like you turned into a frog,” she said.

“You’ve got the story completely reversed, Princess,” Josh told her. “In the end, she kisses him and then he turns into a prince, not a frog! He’s _already_ a frog, you see.”

“Mmmh,” Maya replied. “It should have been the other way around, if you ask _me_!”

“Well, who asked you?” Josh answered, spinning her out and almost losing grip of her hand.

“Hey, watch it!” Maya said. “You almost dropped me!”

“I would never drop you Maya,” Josh promised, holding onto her a little more tightly. _“Not ever.”_

_Not ever_ sounded very good to Maya.

Summer ended faster than either of them would have liked and they had to go their separate ways.

When Maya got home, there was a lot more changes in her life than meeting the boy who had seemingly put the stars in the sky. Suddenly, _not ever_ seemed impossible and everything she had ever believed proved to be a lie.

**.**

“Come on Maya, you _have_ to smile!” Josh prodded, distressed by the thin line of her mouth.

“Says who?”

Josh shook his head. “Nobody. I just don’t like it when you’re sad.”

Maya sighed. “Well. Get used to it. Whether you like it or not this is the new me, Josh.”

Josh looked a little taken aback. No girl he knew talked like that, they were all too young. He wondered where she could have heard language like _that_ but he didn’t let it faze him. Instead, he summoned up all the magic he could and tried to make her smile for what seemed like the umpteenth time since he’d arrived in New York.

“But I _can’t_ get used to it,” he told her. “I like your smile too much to get used to it.”

Maya looked at him, her blue eyes were impossibly sad. Josh’s breath caught in his throat and he prayed that this would be the moment. . . the moment where she would smile and he’d be sure of everything in his life again.

“You really like it when I smile?” Maya asked cautiously.

Josh nodded. “I really do.”

Maya sighed and then she offered him a ghost of a smile, it was gone as soon as it had appeared.

He shook his head. “Not big enough.”

Maya tried again, it lasted a little longer this time. “Josh, stop it!” she begged as soon as it had disappeared.

_“Never!”_ Josh declared. “Not until you smile again, longer this time and you really have to mean it!”

“I mean it!” Maya answered defensively.

“You do not!” Josh replied. “Do I have to tickle you? Is that it?”

“No! I’m smiling! I’m smiling!” Maya shrieked, tugging the corners of her lips into the largest smile that she could muster.

“There it is! I knew you still had it in you!” Josh said, throwing his arms around her in a warm embrace.

Maya even giggled a little as she hugged him back, looking up at him with wide eyes that held a sort of admiration that had only belonged to him since they had met the year before. He hugged her a little tighter, not dropping her like he had promised her the year before.

**.**

They were at Morgan’s wedding and Maya was wearing a sparkly white dress and daisy crown that matched Riley’s even though she hadn’t been a part of the bridal party like her brunette best friend and Josh was looking at her like she was a Disney princess.

“Come on and dance with me, Maya!” Josh begged as soon as the music had started, trying to tug her away from Riley and the kid’s table.

“Okay,” Maya agreed, brushing her fingers through her tangled blonde curls before slipping out of the white patent leather Mary Jane’s she was wearing.

Josh pulled her to the dance floor and put his arms around her, they swayed together to the music. They were caught up in their own little world, completely oblivious to the world around them as they twirled and whirled to a whole playlist of songs.

Maya might have only been ten but she wanted a whole lifetime of Josh and the whole entire Matthews family and white light dances.

_Maya Matthews_ had a really nice ring to it.

She didn’t know that there were going to be sixteen other people who agreed with her one day.

**.**

It had been four years since Josh had seen Maya and she was even prettier than he remembered. He was incredibly happy to see her and he was even more thrilled when she threw her arms around him.

“Uncle Josh!” She said.

“I’m not your uncle, Maya!” Josh reminded her, still unable to put his arms around her and hug her back because he wouldn’t be able to stop if he did and now was not the time to actually pursue things with her. They were both on different paths in life.

“Even better,” Maya said, hugging him tighter.

Riley pulled Maya off of him and he was able to look at her even closer. His heart stopped in his throat and he was almost at a loss for words.

“It’s-it’s been a while,” Josh stuttered.

“It has,” Maya agreed merrily.

He rubbed the back of his neck, he was a complete goner. “Well. You grew up gorgeous,” he said.

And she beamed as he tried to get away from her as fast as possible because he would do something that he was supposed to regret later on and wouldn’t because he knew they were supposed to be together one day.

He could feel her eyes following him as he left the room and all he wanted to do was stay.

**.**

She was standing in front of him, her heart beating out of her chest as she confessed her feelings for him in front of Riley, and God and complete strangers. . . all of them encouraging in their own right.

Maya almost expected him to reject her like he had been doing ever since they’d met again at Christmas. He didn’t say anything, all he did was get up and take her and Riley home because that was just the kind of guy that he was.

Later on, he promised that he’d stop looking at her like a little girl and treating her more maturely.

But it still felt like they were a million miles apart from each other.

**.**

Josh couldn’t believe her audacity.

She was calling him to ask if she should go on a date with somebody. It made him angrier than it should have. He had no right to her, he had spent the better part of six months telling her that he was too old for her.

Part of him had hoped that she wouldn’t listen to him and that she would continue to pursue him relentlessly.

He didn’t expect her to even consider accepting dates from other guys. . . from other guys who weren’t _him_.

Who did she think she was? Was she trying to make him jealous? Was she trying to get a reaction from him? He wasn’t going to give her the satisfaction. Before he could stop them, words were flowing out of his mouth.

“Do whatever you want Maya!” He practically snarled. “Fine! Go out with him then! I _don’t_ care! No, I’m not lying to you. I _really_ don’t care if you go out with him or not! It’s your life, you can do whatever you want. I don’t even know why you called me in the first place! Fine, maybe I will! Don’t you dare hang up first Maya Hart! Hey, I told you not to hang up on me!”

He growled at the phone with frustration before angrily throwing it on the bed. Something white hot was spreading through him and threatening to burst forth in all its green-eyed glory. His mother called him out and said he was jealous, which he denied vehemently because it wouldn’t be fair to her if he were jealous.

“You’re still going crazy over the fact that somebody who isn’t _you_ wants to spend time with her. Aren’t you?” Amy said as she smoothed his hair away from his face.

“No. . .” Josh lied before sighing. “Well, okay, maybe a _little_. But I shouldn’t feel this way! I should be okay with the fact that guys her _own_ age are interested in her.”

Amy sighed. “I don’t think you’re really angry with _Maya_. You’re angry with yourself because you’re jealous and you’re having feelings for her that you don’t think you should. Right?”

Josh thought about it for a minute and then nodded his head. “I’m not angry with Maya. No matter how hard I’ve tried to be angry with her since we met up again in December. . . I can’t. I think I really. . .” he trailed off, stopping short of a confession.

Amy smiled and gestured towards his phone. “You better call and make things right with her, Josh.”

He tried but it went straight to voicemail. Josh looked at his mother pitifully. “She doesn’t want to talk to me,” he said, comically mournful.

“Keep trying,” Amy said. “I’m going to unload the dishwasher.”

1 hour and 36 minutes later, Josh was trying to work on homework in the kitchen. He had been calling Maya every three minutes, with the same results; she still hadn’t picked up her phone. Josh was lamenting about how _badly_ he had screwed things up and banging his pencil against the table when there was a sharp knock on the glass door.

When Amy saw his mouth drop open, she went over to see who was there. It was Maya, staring at him with unblinking eyes, shivering in the cool spring evening.

“Well, just don’t stand there!” Amy told him. Let her in!”

“Oh right!” Josh said, going over to the door and opening it. He looked back at her for the longest time before laughing and rubbing the back of his neck. “Hey Maya, does your mom know you’re here?”

“What makes you think you have the right to talk to me like that!?” Maya answered, hitting him on the chest as she came into the house. “Hah? You aren’t my brother and you most certainly aren’t my _boyfriend_. I’m not sure we’re even friends. So, what gives Matthews!?”

“Ouch! Will you please stop it Maya?” Josh asked, trying to shield himself from her blows.

_“Answer me!”_ Maya demanded. “ _What_ gives you the _right_ to talk to me like that!?”

“Nothing! Okay? I’m sorry! I shouldn’t have gotten angry with you. I was.  . .” Josh trailed off and looked helplessly at Amy.

“You’re on your own, son,” Amy told him.  

“You were _what_?” Maya asked, gently putting a hand on his arm.

“We’re friends,” Josh said. “I want you to know that . . . we _are_ friends! And I just want you to be careful. I care about you Maya. I have ever since the first day we met all those years ago.”

“We’re _friends_?” Maya repeated. “I spent all of my birthday money so you could tell me that we’re _friends_?”

Josh smiled at her. “The next time we fight, I’ll make the trip. Okay?”

Maya sighed. “Just for you to know, I told him that I wasn’t interested in going out with him. Okay?”

“Really?” Josh asked, relief coursing through his whole entire body.

Maya nodded. “Really, I guess I’m still stuck on somebody else. Crazy, isn’t it?”

Josh shook his head. “No. No, it isn’t. Maybe he’s a little bit stuck on you too. But listen Maya, he wants you to go and live your life. Don’t sit around waiting for someday to come around. It’ll be here before either of you know it and then you’ll wish you had seen what else was out there.”

Maya shook her head too. “No,” she said. “No, I’m pretty sure that I would _never_ wish for something like that.”

**.**

Maya banged on Josh’s dorm door, trembling with cold and tears. She was completely mortified, she couldn’t believe her evening had ended so badly. It was her first school dance, it was supposed to be magical.

After a few minutes, Josh pulled the door open, dressed in plaid pajamas and rubbing sleep out of his eyes. “Maya! What are you doing here? Isn’t tonight supposed to be the school dance? It’s almost midnight. . . come on Maya, tell me what happened.”

“I was just a cover. . .” Maya whispered. “I was just a cover for the girl he really wanted to go with but couldn’t because his parents don’t like her. I didn’t know until we got there that he didn’t want to be with me tonight. I didn’t even get to dance.”

“Lucas and Farkle must have. . .”

Maya shook her head. “They would have but I hid in the bathroom for the whole entire evening.”

“That’s not the Maya Hart, I know and. . .” Josh trailed off and shook his head. “The Maya Hart that I know would have let that loser know what he was missing out on.”

Maya sighed. “I know, I know. I just couldn’t do it this time, I don’t think I can always be brave though, no matter how hard I try.”

“You don’t have to,” Josh told her, pressing a kiss to her forehead. “Hold on a second, I’ll be right back.”

He disappeared into his dorm for a few seconds and came back, holding his iPod and Bluetooth speaker.

“What are you doing, Josh?” Maya asked.

“I’m going to dance with you,” Josh answered. “You deserve at least one dance tonight.”

He put a song on and whirled and twirled her around the dorm hallway.

“Sorry for interrupting your evening,” Maya whispered as he pulled her into his arms.

“I always have time for you, Maya,” Josh assured her. “I’m just sorry your first dance turned out that way. It should have been special, it shouldn’t have ended with you showing up at my dorm at midnight, soaking wet and all alone. . . and crying. You especially shouldn’t be crying tonight.”

“I’m fine,” Maya said.

“You keep saying that,” Josh answered, wiping away a smudge of mascara from under her eye. “You don’t have to be brave though, it’s just you and me. I can see you.”

Maya sniffed a little bit. “It shouldn’t matter because I didn’t want to go with him. I would rather spend my night with you than any other guy. But it _does_ matter a little bit because it turns out that he wanted to be with somebody else and not _me_. What’s wrong with me, Josh?”

_“Nothing!”_ Josh said, pulling her into his arms and giving her a fierce hug. “There’s _nothing_ wrong with you Maya! You’re perfect, that guy was a _jerk_! He lost out. He couldn’t see how amazing you really are.”

Maya looked up at him. “You really think so?”

“I don’t think so. . . I _know_ so,” Josh answered.

**.**

Maya Hart was _not_ his girl. Not exclusively anyways, sure he hadn’t had any other dates in a long time but that didn’t mean she belonged to him. She wasn’t property, she could dance with whoever she wanted to. She could talk to whoever she wanted to. It didn’t faze him, not really. . . and yet, he wondered if he gave Zay the death glare long enough, he would stop dancing with his girl.

Because for better or worse, whether either of them liked it or not. .. she _was_ his. She wouldn’t like it if he danced with somebody else at a party. They were supposed to dance with each other that had been established a long time ago.

With a newfound determination, he strode towards Zay and Maya. 

Zay pushed Maya away and shielded his face with his arms. “Sorry, I’m sorry! I didn’t know you guys were. . . that you usually danced with her!”

“Do you mind if I cut in?” Josh asked tersely.

Zay lowered his arms. “You mean you’re _not_ going to punch me?”

Josh fixed him with another death glare. “Are you going to let me dance with her or not?”

“Sure!” Zay answered. “You know we were just dancing as friends, I don’t like her like that. . . if I had known it would have made you this upset, I would have never asked her . . ."

But Josh had already whisked an amused looking Maya away.

“Okay Hart, you proved your point!”

“What point?” Maya asked with the same innocence from a few moments before.

“I don’t like it when we’re not together! And maybe we should just wait for each other until society says that it’s acceptable for us to be more than friends,” Josh answered. “Are you happy?”

“Very,” Maya answered, looking at him with the look that belonged only to him. For his part, he couldn’t take his eyes off of her.

.

“Josh?” Maya said one night when she was a senior in high school.

“Yeah, Maya?” Josh asked juggling a large textbook and his leather messenger bag.

“I was wondering if you would be my prom date?” Maya asked straight off and not all like she had rehearsed it with Riley and Auggie two days earlier. “Please?”

“You want me to be your prom date?” Josh asked his book crashed to the floor.

“Just as friends!” Maya said quickly even though _she_ knew and _he_ knew that they really wouldn’t be going just as friends, they were lying to themselves and everybody else because they still didn’t want to mess things up by taking the leap from just friends into something more.

“I wasn’t saying I wouldn’t go with you,” Josh told her gently. “I might have to clear a few things off my schedule but that’s as good as done. Now are you sure that you want me to be your prom date?”

“Yeah,” Maya answered. “Besides, it isn’t like anybody else has asked me to go.”

“They haven’t?” Josh asked a note of surprise in his voice, he didn’t like the thought of other guys going to the prom with her and getting to tell her how beautiful she looked. But he wasn’t blind, she should have had more offers than she knew what to do with. She was gorgeous and fun to be around, any guy would have been _lucky_ to take her to prom.

Maya shook her head. “Nope.”

“Well. . .” Josh trailed off and rubbed the back of his neck like he usually did when he was around Maya. “Well. I would be honored to take you to your prom, Maya.”

Maya breathed a sigh of relief. She would have been completely embarrassed if he had told her _no_. Showing up at the senior prom without a date would have completely ruined her high school career, it was bad enough that almost half the boys had already labeled her as a lesbian while the other half had labeled her as a _prude_.

She had tried not to care because on the weekends, she had Josh waiting for her at the New York library where he would read the most beautiful poetry to her before taking her to share an ice cream sundae at Serendipity Cafe and he put his arms around her when they were walking. He was as good as any boyfriend, even more so because he didn’t expect anything from her except for her to be there and he, in turn, was there for her.

It all worked out in the end.

The high school girls could have the high school boys.

She already had her prince.

**.**

 

Maya was literally stealing Josh’s breath away. He knew he was supposed to say something, maybe take a cue from Lucas and tell her how beautiful that she looked or maybe steal from one of his favorites. . . R.M Drake or Austen or Lord Byron because he couldn’t think of anything original to say but he just stood, staring at her completely dumbfounded. If he hadn’t already fallen for her once upon a time ago, he definitely would have done it tonight even though it would have probably been a little shallow.

She was looking at him expectantly, like she was waiting for him to say something. . . to say anything like he was supposed to. But he couldn’t. No matter how hard he tried, he just hoped that she wouldn’t be too disappointed in him.

The night passed in a blur and suddenly, it was the last dance of the evening. But nobody else was on the dance floor except for them. The DJ was playing a different version of one of their many songs and he drew her closer, the whole school was watching but he didn’t care.

Not dancing with her wasn’t an option. It never was.

Josh felt like this was supposed to be the moment they got together. The setting was perfect but like telling her how beautiful she looked, he couldn’t bring himself to kiss her or to do anything that real couples did.

If she was disappointed by the turn of events, she hid it extremely well.

Later that night, he was sitting in his dorm trying to put the finishing touches on an essay when he realized what he had done. He scribbled a note for his roommate on the off chance he surfaced from the love of his week and dashed out of his room as fast as he could.

Sure, he couldn’t give her all of what she wanted tonight but he could give her something.

He sprinted up the fire escape and tapped on the bay window. Maya opened it and Josh stuck his head inside.

“Yes?” She whispered because Ava was snoring loudly in Riley’s bed.

Josh took a deep breath, his heart pounding out of his chest. “I forgot something.”

“Oh?” Maya asked softly.

Josh cleared his throat. _“She walks in beauty, like the night of cloudless climes and starry skies; And all that’s best of dark and bright. Meet in her aspects and her eyes; thus mellowed to that tender light, which Heaven to gaudy day denies.”_

“Josh. . .”

“You looked really beautiful tonight,” Josh told her. “I think I forgot to tell you that too.”

“Oh Josh. . .” Maya looked like she was going to kiss him then and as much as he wanted her to, as much as he wanted to kiss her there was still something stopping him.

“I have to go,” he told her.

To his relief, Maya didn’t look too disappointed by the kiss that missed. In fact, she looked _happy_ despite the fact that he was holding them back from being official.

“I’ll see you later, Josh.”

“Goodnight Maya,” Josh said, brushing a kiss across her cheek at the last second.

**.**

They were supposed to be practicing for their duet at _Topanga’s_ but instead of singing “Bright”, Josh was plunking notes out on the piano and looking at her with a silly grin on his face.

_“You look so wonderful in your dress. . .”_

“Josh! We’re supposed to be practicing our song!” Maya protested as he sang from memory perfectly.

_“. . . I love your hair like that, the way it falls on the side of your neck, down your shoulders and back. . .”_

“Josh!” Maya said again, putting her hands on her hips and looking at him crossly, the meaning of what he was singing was completely lost on her, the fact that he was singing _to_ her was completely lost on her for that matter.

_“. . We are surrounded by all of these lies and people that talk too much. You’ve got that kind of look in your eyes as if no one knows anything but us. . .”_

“Joshua Matthews, we only have three more days to learn this song! You better stop fooling around!”

_“. . .should this be the last thing I see, I want you to know it’s enough for me. ‘Cause all that you are is all that I’ll ever need. . . I’m so in love! So in love,”_ Josh sang despite her constant beratement.

“I am dead serious. Stop fooling around now or I’ll call your mother!”

_“. . .you look so beautiful in this light, your silhouette over me. The way it brings out the blue in your eyes is the Tenerife Sea. . .”_

_“. . .and all of the voices surrounding us here, they just fade out when you take a breath. Just say the word and then we’ll disappear into the wilderness. Should this be the last thing I see, I want you to know it’s enough for me. ‘Cause all that you are is all I’ll ever need. . .”_ Josh paused for a second and looked straight at Maya. _“I’m so in love!”_

It was a quasi-confession but instead of doing anything about it or throwing her arms around him and saying that she loved him too, Maya picked up her guitar and started to sing the song that they were supposed to be practicing.

She didn’t know it but it was sort of an answer to his confession.

**.**

They were the only ones _not_ kissing at the stroke of midnight, so with Frank Sinatra and a million cheering New Yorkers as their soundtrack, he pulled her into his arms for their first kiss.

Once he got started, he couldn’t stop. It seemed like it was the same story for her, all it took was his lips on her’s and they had both lost all of the control they had built over the course of a dozen or more years.

It lasted longer than a New Year’s kiss should have lasted but Josh didn’t want it to end. So, when it did, he didn’t know why they both ran in opposite directions of the house when they should have disappeared _together_.

Josh wasn’t surprised to find out his older brother had followed him.

“It’s time,” Cory said.

“What if it ends badly?” Josh asked.

“If it was going to end, it would have ended a long time ago,” Cory answered. “I see the way you look at her. I see the way she looks at you. You’re a Matthews, you were designed to last. Maya wants something that’ll last, it’ll all work out in the end.”

“What if I’m not what she wants?”

Cory laughed. “But you are what she wants. You’ve been what she’s wanted for a long time now. It’s time Josh. Don’t be afraid, fear is what’s keeping you from something beautiful. Something you could have had for a long time now. Go and get her, Josh.”

She was sitting outside with Riley, saying something about how she could get everything that she wanted and it wouldn’t be what she expected.

“I’m never going to let that happen!” Josh declared, pushing the door open and joining them. “I am going to spend the rest of my life making sure life never disappoints you and if it does, I’m going to try as hard as I can to make it better.”

Riley excused herself, it was obvious she was barely able to contain her excitement and Josh couldn’t help but wonder how many of their family members and friends actually knew about them.

But thoughts of _that_ completely disappeared when he looked at the object of his affections and realized there was so much he could tell her, that there was so much he _needed_ to say.

He reached out and cupped her frozen cheeks with his hands. “First let me start off by saying just how much I love you Maya. Second let me tell you how long I have loved you and let me finish by telling you just how long I am planning on loving you.”

“Okay,” Maya agreed in a whisper.

“But first. . .” Josh trailed off, not finishing his thought as he kissed her for a second time that night, this time he had no intention of stopping until he had to and she kissed him right back.

**.**

Maya couldn’t believe it was happening. Never in her wildest dreams did she think Josh would propose. Yes, he had promised that he would never let her fall and at the dawn of the New Year, he had told her that he would love her _forever_ but she hadn’t ever allowed herself to believe it to be true.

She had wanted it to be true.

However, there was always small part of her that was still so hurt, still a tiny bit damaged that she couldn’t allow herself to believe in happily ever after.

But now, with Josh kneeling in front of her with a diamond ring that suited her tastes and lifestyle _perfectly_.

_“If I lived a million lives, I would've felt a million feelings and I still would've fallen a million times for you,”_ Josh quoted, looking her square in the eyes. “Please Maya, please say you’ll marry me.”

Maya got down in front of him and pushed his hair away from his eyes. “I will marry you Josh,” she answered. “I love you.”

Josh smiled and put the ring on her finger. “I love you too.”

**.**

Josh couldn’t take his eyes off of her as she was walking down the aisle towards him. All those years of loving her had finally culminated in _this_. . . in forever. But the long game was far from over, in fact it was just beginning and he was looking forward to seeing where it took them.

**.**

“Introducing for the first time ever, Mr. and Mrs. Joshua Matthews!” Eric announced as they entered the reception hall, hand-in-hand.

Maya’s mouth hurt from smiling too much. She didn’t think she could be happier than she was in that moment but she had a lifetime for her new husband to prove her wrong, she was looking forward to forever.

He had kept his promise to her and been with her through everything just like he had promised.

Their song started to play and Josh turned to her, smiling. “Mrs. Matthews?”

“Yes, Mr. Matthews?” She asked.

“May I have this dance?”

“Always,” Maya answered, allowing him to sweep her onto the dance floor and into happily ever after.

 

**_The End_**

 

**.**

**Author's Note:**

> That’s all for now. I think I have three or four more one-shots in this world but they will all be from Maya and Josh’s POV and I will only be posting them as I get inspired and after the holidays. Anyways, thank you so much for sticking with this story. It was a long haul, I know and a lot of the time I don’t think I even knew what I was writing but I enjoyed every second of it. I am taking next week off because I have Black Friday plans but I will be back December 4th with a new holiday story. Lastly, let me apologize for posting the last installment a day late.
> 
> I had a procedure on Wednesday and a biopsy, I have a little stomach inflammation (but it can all be reversed). Other than that, I got a clean bill of health. My reason for the late update is because I was under the influence of anesthesia all day on Wednesday and I watched Glee and Hallmark all day. 
> 
> Please tell me what you thought of this chapter. And a very Happy Thanksgiving to all my American readers.
> 
> Until Next Time! I count you all in my blessings.


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